Orange County observes a second Memorial Day on Sept. 29 with a service at the Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Goshen. The date is significant. On Sept. 29, 1918, forty Orange County soldiers lost their lives as their units breached the Hindenburg Line. “We vowed never to forget them or their sacrifice,” Jerry Oser of the American Legion said as he offered the invocation on Sunday morning.
Several people at the cemetery were members of the American Legion, like Mr. Oser. There were also many representatives of the Nam Knights. County Executive Steve Neuhaus chatted with them before and after the service. Dressed in a windbreaker and cap, he blended in with the rest of the audience.
When it was his turn at the podium, he recalled seeing “They Shall Not Grow Old” with his son before deploying to the Middle East. The film depicts what the British soldiers endured during World War I. “It was not a great thing for a father and son to watch before deploying,” Mr. Neuhaus admitted. The hardships of that war were severe.
The executive then turned his attention to his own unit. There were no fatalities while they were on duty. But since returning to the United States, several members of the unit have committed suicide. “We have to constantly try to support each other,” Mr. Neuhaus told the audience.
The guest speaker for the morning, Lt. Col. David A. Jones, also focused on the present as well as the past. Before stepping in front of the microphone, he shook hands with a few guests who were seated — including one who had served in World War II.
Colonel Jones reported that we have service members in 150 countries. “They could never have done their jobs,” he said, “without the support of those on the home front.” He verbally saluted the veterans in the audience and quoted historian Stephen Ambrose. “It is the soldier, not the minister who has given us freedom of religion. It is the soldier, not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press….”
The names of the men lost in 1918 were read aloud. And, in their honor, two Gold Star Mothers placed flowers on top of a monument. The service concluded with a moment of silence, the playing of “Taps” and the retirement of colors by the Washingtonville Junior ROTC.
The World War II veteran greeted by Lt. Col. Jones said his name was Tony Pizza. “No one ever believes that,” he told us. He served four years in the Marines and then worked at West Point from 1948-80, where he met legendary football coach Vince Lombardi.
“Imagine a Marine working at West Point,” Mr. Pizza observed with a grin. He said that his daughter had driven him to the service. And you could tell that he was glad that she did.
